Volgograd region recognized as “Literary flagship of Russia – 2026”

Volgograd region won the first place in the All-Russian competition “The most reading region” and was awarded the honorary status of “Literary flagship of Russia”. The results of the competition were summed up by an authoritative jury, which included representatives of the book, library and museum communities, authorities and creative associations.

Sergey Stepashin, President of the Russian Book Union and Chairman of the Jury, noted that regional projects are increasingly becoming local cultural brands, and the motto of the Volgograd project is “Read – unite!” Together, we, Russia, are on the agenda of the year. Since 2026 has been declared the Year of the Unity of the Peoples of Russia, experts focused on initiatives that strengthen social harmony and reveal the cultural diversity of the country.

According to the regional committee of culture, the “Formula of Unity” united five thematic areas: “Unity of peoples”, “Memory of generations”, “Culture is our strength”, “Family is the basis of Russia” and “Language diversity: Russian is the language of unity”. As part of these modules, since February 2026, 1853 events have been held in 380 institutions of 21 municipalities; almost 100,000 people became participants. The culmination of the project was the contest “Book – Path to Unity”, which revealed the brightest library practices in the region.

Volgograd region, which received the status of “Literary flagship”, will be solemnly celebrated at the all-Russian level: in November in Moscow will host an award ceremony. In 2027, the Volgograd region will have an additional opportunity to develop the book agenda: the region will be able to participate in forums and exhibitions under the auspices of the Russian Book Union on preferential terms.

Systematic work carried out in the region on the initiative of Governor Andrei Bocharov plays an important role in promoting reading and involvement of residents in library life. Modernization of libraries, expansion of book collection and arrangement of cozy spaces for visitors help to make cultural institutions more attractive. Thus, within the framework of the regional project “Family values and cultural infrastructure” (the national project “Family”), model libraries are being created in the region: in 2026, 4 more sites were added to the network, and now their total number has reached 20.